I was at the s**** yard yesterday, and picked one up for $20, and THOUGHT it was a TH400. I am OBVIOUSLY not very familiar with GM transmissions. I planned to use the junkyad special for mock up, and then rebuild it when I'm ready to fire up the car. I was just wondering if anyone has used these. I only found ONE thread on this trans in here. I plan to run it behind a 292 Ford Y Block, in a 'gl*** 32 roadster, 4.11:1 gearsw/ mini spool in a Ford 8 inch. Thanks.
I don't know if it would help your search, but the correct name for it is 200-4R The 700 is a 700-R4. GM was pretty tricky back then...
If you're going to run that behind a Y block, you'll need an adapter. Better make sure they have one for it. Check with Flat O Matic on the web and you'll get an idea of what's available for your y block. The 200R4 can be a very good ****** with some proper modifactions. Some say they like the gearing better than a 700R4.
Lots of good stuff about it. Uses less power than a 700R4. Better gearing. Smaller size, the same size as a TH350. I like them and have used a more than a few over the years. Not real strong out of the box, but then neither is the 700. Both can be made to handle a decent amount of power.
From what ive heard (heard!) the 200r4 is great in lightweight cars 350 and under so should be great after said 'upgrades' have been installed and rebuilt ! im gonna be running the 700r4 full tricked but my truck is heavy so i think a ****** like this would be a tad overkill for your car , but hey , what do i know , jus my 2 pence or cents which ever way you wanna read it ;-)
should also be noted that the 200-4R has a B-O-P bolt pattern...I am sure there's an adaptor... An old firend of mine is running one behind a Cadillac 390 (mild cam, tri-power) in his '49 Cad fastback...heavy car, lots of torque, and he LOVES IT. Probably wouldn't need much beefing up behind a 292.
Hey squirrel, not to highjack the thread, but where might one find a chevy pattern 200-4R? Maybe an S-10? Learn something new everyday...
i have a 200-4r that came from an 86 caprice , i'm also using the 305 it was bolted to . the 305 is by no means a power house but both the 305 and the 200-4r work pretty dang good in my wagon
I copy and pasted it from another website...I have NO idea about GM transmissions...thanks for the advice, I'm still searching about the internet. JL more info: The tag on the trans tunnel, near the output shaft, p***enger side reads: Turbo Hydramatic CR F SERNO: 195-861CRF0521
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW... I'm going back to the s**** yard tomorrow, the guy that owns it lives across the street from me. He said he KNOWS he has a TH400, and it won't cost me a dime. If I ever decide to put a bigger motor in this car, I don't think the 200 is for me. I know the 400 will put up to the abuse. Oh well, I learned something about GM transmissions...thanks again. JL
Roughly the same overall length and uses the same rear yoke as a powerglide or turbo 350. Rear mount is T400. Strongest ones stock are from turbo Buicks and the late 80s SS Monte Carlo. Dual pattern bell housing VERY common allowing the use of engines with Chev V8 pattern in addition to those using the BOPC corporate pattern, although single pattern ones are out there. Reputedly will hold more horsepower and torque than a 700 4R when built up with aftermarket parts for "racing". Not very many cars on the street with the 800+ horsepower these things can hold if you want to have them built that strong. Tons and tons of information out there on the internet as a Google search will show. I picked up a fresh 200-4R from my neighbor to drop in my sister's non Hamb friendly Camaro a while back and started looking for info. While searching the Turbo Buick boards, I found a posting by a trans shop owner that specializes in beefing up these transmissions, in New York City of all places, offering a 200 page manual he had written. Book is a spiral bound paperback and not cheap at 65 dollars + shipping (to me at least), but it is well done, contains tons and tons of information and pictures. And most importantly, after taking my payment info over the phone, it was shipped out promptly, and was everything he represented it to be. The website is www.ckperformance.com
you do know that the 200-4R is an overdrive transmission , and a TH400 is NOT an overdrive... something to consider with your 4.11 gears.
<HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1> <!-- / icon and ***le --><!-- message --> Everything you ever, EVER wanted to know about the 200R4 can be found here: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=109774
I was in the ****** biz for 8 years. I have built many 700R4s and never have been happy with their shift quality in all gears. Ive built 2 2ooR4s both for performance aplications and I think with a simple shift correction kit their a way better feeling trans with mutch nicer ratios. The OD give a great 500rpm drop. In a light car its the way to go. Also much simpler to work on internally.
I have a 200R4 with manually switched lockup converter in a Paxton Novi blown and intercooled Willys with close to 700 hp - car weighs 3380 lbs on the scale. Great trans and I would not go back to a 700R4.
200r is same size as th350-small block bolt pattern and does not have the lock-up converter like the 700r-car craft a few years ag said only thing need to swap in a th350 car is different shift cable and too turn the rear mount 180 deg.to fit.
FWIW I'd keep the 200r4. Mine lived through 170K miles in my Grand National and still barked second good when I sold it.
If ya check the malibu racing link in my post it has all the dimensions and recommended box for application, i come across it when i was trying to desifer the box id been given when the bloke said it was a 700r4 ( it was in fact a th200) ASH
hmmm, gears are turning now... my diff has 3.00:1 gears right now, but I planned to put in the 4.11:1's when I rebuild it. Verdict still out on the mini spool I bought for it. so, IF I decided to land speed race the car with a 400-500 HP motor, I COULD use this trans, IF I built it that well? I found a rebuild kit at Summit, still searching. I am going to contact a local performance trans guy, and see if he'll go thru it, and for how much. I just don't want to be changing **** around. Build it and keep it like that for a while. I just don't want to make any quick decisions, just because I have something, doesn't mean I should USE it, until I do some homework.
good idea to do ya homework , whenever i jump into something i normally get stung and it ends up costing me money lol for example i bought led lights for the rollpan on my truck as i thought they would look good , before, i had looked into what i could get, now two days before the fenders go for paint im finding myself fitting 50 pontiac lights frenched into em lol , led tail lights anyone ?
Friend of mine has a trans shop, they built one for an Olds Vista Cruiser Wagon with a 455 that ran 12's. Those are not light cars and it held up just fine. They've done several other build/swaps for rods and street machines and not one customer has regretted going with the 200-4R. Some of those are making Big Block TQ numbers. There are plenty of 9 and 10 second GN's out there still running their 200-4Rs. Sure they've been tweaked but what OEM ****** in a 9 second car hasn't? I've got one under the bench for my next project, I wouldn't use any other automatic. If I wasn't diggin' the old 3 on the tree with OD in my Stude so much it would have gone in it.
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